Casa da Baía

With its dark blue plasterwork and contrasting pale stonework windows, it's not hard to spot Setúbal's Casa da Baía, or House of the Bay. Only a short walk from the town's main square, the Praça de Bocage, it was built in the aftermath of the devastating Lisbon earthquake of 1755 as a home for orphans and widows. Many were buried in the cloister grounds after their deaths.

The ambience that surrounds the Casa da Baía is a much happier one today. The building serves as an exhibition space for people to learn about the natural environment (with information in both Portuguese and English). This includes the Interpretive Centre of the Sado Estuary Bottlenose Dolphin.

But it is also used to display the latest works of local artists and as a port of call for tourists seeking out more information on the town. What's more, there's also a small shop selling locally grown foods, and a café where you can sample a great many of them in the wonderful cloistered courtyard garden. 

Admission is free, with the building open daily.